


Skin the Colour of Paper and Hair the Colour of Ink

by fallofthereichenbach



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Book Shop AU, M/M, Nerdiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 19:38:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6342346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallofthereichenbach/pseuds/fallofthereichenbach
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Arthur falls a tiny bit in love with the cashier at a book shop</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skin the Colour of Paper and Hair the Colour of Ink

**Author's Note:**

> woo more Merthur!! let's do this

"So I'm guessing you think he's cute then?"

Arthur spun around to face his friend Gwaine and spluttered incoherently for a second or two.

"What?! Who?"

"The guy standing behind the till. The one you've been staring at for the past ten minutes?"

Cue more stammering.

It was a surprisingly warm day in March, and Arthur Pendragon had decided to wander into town with his friend Gwaine. They ended up in a local second-hand bookstore - and it was merely an added bonus that the shop assistant at the till was hot as fuck. Not that Arthur was about to admit it.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Arthur eventually, and turned back to the shelf in front of him that hid him from view from the rest of the shop.

Okay, maybe he had been staring a little. But it wasn't his fault that the shelf in front of him had a gap between two of the books that allowed a direct view of the guy.

"Shut up Pendragon, you're blushing."

"Am not."

"Are too. Anyway, I think he's been looking over here at least as much as you've been looking at him."

Arthur broke his defensive act to crane his neck and look over at the shop worker. He was looking down at an open book on the counter in front of him, and seemed to be entranced in the story.

Arthur let out an involuntary sigh, which he attempted to disguise as a cough. Gwaine wasn't fooled though.

"So, are you gonna go ask him out then?"

"What? No!"

"Why not?" 

"Because... I don't even know him," Arthur muttered lamely.

"Bullshit, that's never stopped you before... Hey Pendragon, are you shy?"

"Fuck off Gwaine. I didn't come in here to ask some guy out, I just want to buy a book or something."

"But come on, admit it. You do think he's hot as fuck."

"For God's sake Gwaine, keep your voice down!"

The trouble was that Gwaine was right. He was hot as fuck. He had black hair that was messy in a way that seemed effortlessly cute; his eyes were a bright, interesting blue that was hidden behind a pair of dorky reading glasses; he was wearing a dark red jumper with a blue scarf; and every now and then a small smile would cross his face as he turned the pages of his book.

Arthur sighed and passed a hand over his face. He might as well get this over with.

"I'm gonna go and buy a book, okay?"

"Fuck yeah, I knew I could convince you!"

"Fuck- no, Gwaine, I'm literally just going to buy a book. I'll meet you in the Starbucks across the street in... 5 minutes?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Gwaine skeptically with a grin, "Good luck, Pendragon!"

As Gwaine left the shop, Arthur grabbed a random book off the shelf - it didn't really matter which one he took, they were all similarly priced and seemed reasonably interesting. He took a few seconds to psyche himself up, before walking up to the cashier desk.

 

"Hello," Arthur said with what he hoped came off as a warm smile as he handed the book over to the shop assistant.

"Hi, how are you today?"

"I'm good thanks, how are you?"

"I'm pretty good. Would you like a bag?"

"Erm, no thanks... Hey, this weather we're having at the moment is really nice, isn't it?"

Arthur cringed even as he said it, but he was rewarded by a slight smile from the cashier. Maybe small talk does work sometimes.

"It's kinda nice, but I burn easily. Basically I'm not going outside until it starts to rain again."

"So you'll be outside again... tomorrow?"

The shop assistant actually laughed, and Arthur nearly died a little. It was a very cute laugh, without even a hint of unkindness in it. It was warmer than the sun outside.

"That'll be £1.50," said the guy once he had sobered up a little, "Have you read the book before?"

As Arthur handed over the money, he took a second to look at the book he had chosen for the first time. The Fault In Our Stars, that old romance story that everyone was raving about a year or two ago. Just his luck.

"Um, I haven't actually," Arthur said, thinking quickly, "Is it good?"

"It's amazing," the cashier said with his classic smile, and held up the book off to the side that he had been reading. It too was The Fault In Our Stars. What are the odds?"

"Great minds think alike, huh?" Arthur said awkwardly. He wasn't exactly great at sustaining conversations, but he was in no hurry to leave the shop and the man with skin the colour of paper and hair the colour of ink.

"It's a really amazing book, this is my fifth time reading it... It will break you, emotionally," said the shop assistant, fingers lazily flicking through the pages. He smirked absent-mindedly for a second, and Arthur swallowed hard. 

"I look forward to it," he said quietly, and the cashier looked up from his book for a couple of seconds of lengthy eye contact, "Um, I'm Arthur Pendragon by the way."

"I'm Merlin Emrys," said Merlin Emrys as he took a bookmark from a stand on the counter, and gently slipped it into the pages and closed the book, "Weren't you with someone? I don't want to keep you from your... plans."

He said it lightly, but Arthur still hastened to reassure him.

"Oh, that's just my friend Gwaine. He can be kind of a dick sometimes, so I don't mind abandoning him in a Starbucks for a while." 

Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Trust me, I've known him for years. He's probably making out with someone in Starbucks."

Merlin laughed again, and Arthur realised that it was probably one of the best sounds in the world. It felt like a river of pure golden sunlight warming the world around him, and Arthur made a pact with himself to make Merlin laugh as much as he could. 

"Fair enough," Merlin said, and smiled at the ground. Arthur just smiled at him.

After a little while, Merlin seemed to remember that he hadn't actually given Arthur the book yet. He took the receipt out the machine, scribbled something on it and slipped it into the book. He handed the book to Arthur, and as their hands brushed Arthur couldn't help noticing how soft and warm Merlin's skin felt against his.

 

"Fucking finally. What happened?"

Gwaine sat him down at the table he had secured, and handed him the coffee that he had ordered for Arthur. Arthur took it, grateful for once for his friend.

"Nothing much," said Arthur, "I bought the book, we talked for a while, then I left."

"That's it? You chickened out completely?"

"Gwaine, I told you I was never going to ask him out."

Gwaine sighed and leaned back in his chair, with an air of exasperation.

"I don't get it, though. You like the guy - no, don't deny it. You like him, you think he's really hot, you spend fucking ages talking to him... He clearly likes you too. Why not just go for it?"

"I..." Arthur thought for a few seconds. He didn't exactly know what to say, "I... don't know."

Gwaine just looked at him, and there was almost pity in his eyes. Arthur looked away, down at his coffee.

And then he stood up. Drained his coffee. Waved goodbye to Gwaine, who grinned excitedly. Promised to text him once he'd done it. Walked out of the Starbucks and back to the coffee shop.

 

Merlin was at the counter still, once again reading his book. Arthur took a few seconds to look through the glass in the door at him. He seemed so peaceful, so beautiful in the weak afternoon sunshine. It seemed a shame to walk in and disturb him. But there are some things that you just have to do.

The bell that rang as the shop door opened sounded like a church bell - though Arthur couldn't particularly decide whether it signified a wedding or a funeral.

"Hello again," said Merlin with warm surprise. He once again closed his book.

"Hi."

"Um... What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering, if maybe you might... Look, you're really cool, okay?... And so I just thought I'd ask..." Arthur wasn't used to stuttering and stammering; he could generally charm the clothes off a person if he wanted to. But something about Merlin was different, and that difference was causing heat to rise in his face and blocks to form between his brain and his mouth.

But those eyes stayed warm and kind, and Arthur took comfort in the fact that he wasn't mocking him just yet.

"You're just really cute and I don't even know much about you but you seem genuinely nice and... Hell, I don't even know if you're into guys or even if you're single... But um, would you like to get a drink or something sometime?"

A slow smile spread over Merlin's face.

"I'd really like that."

"Oh. Good," Arthur nodded, "Er, could I have your number?"

The smile grew into a grin, and Merlin slowly but very deliberately fixed his eyes on the book that was still in Arthur's hands.

Incredulously, Arthur got the hint and opened it. His eyes fell on the receipt that was still tucked in between the pages. And he focused in particular on the writing scribbled hastily on the paper: 

A phone number, a just-about-legible "Call me?", and a heart.


End file.
